TV doesn't make you kill

Two brothers in California have been arrested for allegedly murdering their mother. After allegedly suffocating her, the sons chopped off her head and hands so that the body would be harder to identify -- a technique they saw on the HBO series, "The Sopranos." Undoubtedly this will stir debate about violence on television, and critics will likely cry out for industry restraint, blaming television for this and other violent crimes. When these so-called "copycat" crimes occur, many are quick to jump on the entertainment industry, claiming that TV and movies are too violent. These people assume that violence in society will be reduced without violence in popular media. Others feel that the blame should be placed on the parents who allow their children to watch violent shows and movies. We feel that television should never be blamed, and that here, the parents certainly cannot be blamed. Rather, the blame should be pointed in only one direction: toward the ones who committed the crime. They made the choice to kill their mother. TV did not. \n-Andrew LeMar for the Editorial Board